Improvement in wagon-axles



2 sheets shegt 1.

1.. SKEEN. Wagon-Axles.

Patented Dec. 15,1874.

W ine as e s THE GRAPHIC COJHOYO-LITH. 398x41 PARK PLACEJLY.

- 2Sheets--Sheet 2. J, .SKEEN.

Wagon-Axles.

N0.157,768 Patented Dec. 15,1874.

UNITED S'rn'rns ATENT QFFIGE.

J ACOB SKEEN, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WAGON-AXLES.

Specification formirg part of Letters Patent No. 157,768, dated December15, 1874; application filed February 12, 1874.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JACOB SKEEN, ofAllegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Wagon-Axles and theirattachments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object I have in view is the construction of awagon or carriage axleof cast metal, preferably of malleable iron, steel, or what is now knownas converted steel, which, with its attachments and connections, shallbe cheap, strong, durable, and convenient in use; and my inventiontherein consists in having said axles wholly or partially hollow, thesame beiug either cored in the casting when the axles are. cast in onepiece, or the recess made by dies or formers when the axles are cast intwo or more pieces; and in providing such axles with proper means ofsecuring thereto springs or the frame-work of a wagon or other carriage;and in certain novel holding'nuts adapted for use in said axles; and,finally, in the various combinations of the several operative parts.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use myimprovements, I now proceed to describe the same in connection with thedrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of my axles;Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal central section of the same; Fig. 3, aside elevation of another form of axle; Fig. 4, a vertical longitudinalcentral section of the same; Fig. 5, an elevation, partly inperspective, of one end ofthe same axle; Figs. 6 and 7, side elevationsof other forms of axles; and Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11, separate views ofvarious forms of holding-nuts.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in each figure.

A, B, O, and D represent the different forms of axles, all of which areof cast metal, and are wholly or in part hollow. The axle A is incross-section, of the general form of a cross, having wings a radiatingfrom the common center, and having, upon the upper wing or top, broadand flat portions a near the ends;

and a in the center for the reception of springs a which are securedthereto by proper rivets or bolts, or by the use of covering-plates, asdescribed in another application for Letters Patent by me of this date.

This axle is cast with spindles a, and both axles and spindles arehollow throughout, as shown by a When the axle is cast in one piece thishollow is made by a core in casting, but when the axles are cast in twoor more pieces its hollow is made directly by the pattern, and eachhollow is finished and made true conveniently by dies or formers. Thishollow is, preferably, of uniform size throughout the body of the axle,but in the middle portion of the spindles it is usually made 1011- ger,for the purpose of taking less metal, and to better prevent the spindlesfrom heating when in use. spindles are finished in different ways: Onewith an internal screw-thread, as at a for the reception of theholding-nut, as shown in Fig. 11, the other cut away a little, as shownat 00 for the reception of other forms of holdin g-nuts, as shown inFig. 8, and yet another form, as shown by a which is not threaded or cutaway, and adapted for use with the holdingnut shown in Fig. 10.

When this axle is cast in two parts these parts may be held together bysuitable rivets or bolts 1) through the lower wings, also by the boltsor rivets which secure the springs to the axle; also by suitable bandsI), which may be sprung on over the ends of the axle, and by theholding-nuts which encircle and embrace the cut-away portions of theextreme ends of the spindles.

Through the hollow of the axles just described a bar or rod,lE, isintended to pass, preferably of wrought metal, with each end 0protruding from the outer ends of the spindles, where it is threaded toreceive the holdingnuts.

The axle, however, may be used for some purposes to advantage withoutany bar or rod in any part of the hollow, or the hollowin the body ofthe axle may be filled with suitable wood, in which cases the spindlesare threaded internally at their outer ends to receive the holding-nutshown in Fig. 11; and in instances where the axles, cast in two parts,are used,

The extreme outer ends of the the spindles only may have metallic boltsor bars in their hollows, and the hollow of the body of the axle be leftunfilled, or the same may be filled with suitable wood, all of which canbe readily done before the two parts of the axle are clamped together,as described.

The axle B is intended mainly for use either with its curve downward, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4:, for a dumping wagon, or its curve upward, asshown in Fig. 5, for a lumber-wagon. This axle may be of the generalform of a T- rail, as shown in central section, and it has a body, 0,nearly straight, and arms 0 spring ing nearly at right angles from thebody, from the upper parts of which the spindles extend. The arms 0extend above the spindles, and are recessed, as at 0 so as to leaveaplate, 0 with flanges c, by means of which to secure, by proper bolts,the proper frame-work of the wagon.

When this axle is reversed, as shown in Fig. 5, it may have secured toor cast upon the inner side of its arms a plate, F, for the purpose offastening it to the proper framework of a wagon, and in this use therecesses 0 may be pierced, for the purpose of passing brace or trussrods through them.

It will be observed that this form of axle is recessed upon each side,as at 0 extending up the arms a distance nearly as far as the spindles.The spindles, however, are hollow, the opening extending through them,and through the arm 0 in a direct line. This hollow may be recessed, asat c, to receive the head of a proper bolt or bar, and the hollow in themiddle portion of the spindle enlarged, in the manner and for thepurposes before named.

The axle 0, shown in Fig. 6, has side flanges (1, extending upwardly inarches d at the center andat the ends, and downwardly in arches, as at dThe surface of the upper parts of the arch 01 form the seats (I for thesprings. In this form of axle the spindles are hollow, and may be usedwith a bolt, d, as shown in Fig. 6, or without a bolt.

The axle D, shown in Fig. 7, is of the T form in central cross-section,and is arched upward a little centrally, having suitable seats a for thereception of the springs. It is preferably fitted-with a truss-rod, G,whose threaded ends pass out through the spindles, and whose centerpasses freely through a clip, H, secured to the lower part of the axle.

Several forms of locking-nuts, J K L M, are shown in Figs. 8, 9, 10, and11. The lockingnut J, has a weighted lever-handle,f, a disk, f fromwhich the handle depends, a cup,f adapted to fit closely over thecut-away ends of the spindles before described, and a central threadedopening, f through the center of the disk and the cup. Another form, K,differs from the preceding in having no cup, but instead is used with awasher, N, having a boss, 7, against which a protruding part of the headof the handle presses in use. A modification of this, h, has no cup, andis used without a washer, as before described. Another modification, 2',instead of a cup, may have a threaded projection, j, to screw into thethreaded interior of the spindle, before described. Another form, L,shown in Fig. 9, has a polygonal end, is, for convenient manipulation, adisk, 70), a cup, 70 to fit over the cutaway part of the spindle, and athreaded central opening, 70 A modification, M, has, instead of a cup, athreaded body, I, to engage with the corresponding threaded interior ofthe spindle.

It will be observed that the various forms of axles may be cast in'oneor more pieces, and when cast in one piece cored in whole or in part incasting, and when cast in more than one piece with the hollows turnedand finished up by dies or formers. Also, in making of my axles, I truethe spindles by dies or forms, and avoid disturbing the skin of themetal by turning or grinding.

The advantages claimed for my improvements are, the very great cheapnessand durability of the axles, on account of their being cast; their greatstrength and lightness, by reason of being hollow, and by reason oftheir peculiar shape in cross-section; and the great convenience of theseats for the springs, which dispense with the expense of clips, and areequally strong, or stronger. The advantages of my spindles are the same,with the additional one of avoiding heating in use, by reason of theirhollow interior, and of gettingincreased size, and therefore a betterand stronger bearing; and in connection with these axles and spindlesthe saving in expense and the great increase in convenience bydispensing altogether with skeins; and, in the same connection, thegreat increase in strength by the use of wroughtnnetal rods passingthrough the axles and their spindles. My locking-keys, also, it will beperceived, are adapted only to such axles and spindles, and in usetherewith are convenient and cheap.

Having thus described my improvements and some of their advantages, whatI claim as new therein, and my invention, is-- 1. A cast-metal axle withseats upon its upper surface, adapted to receive springs and fasten themto said axle with bolts, substan tially as described and shown.

2. In combination with a cast-metal axle and hollow spindles, alocking-nut with a weighted handle, substantially as described andshown.

3. A cast-metal axle with the body extending above or below thespindles, the body and spindles cast in one piece, the spindles beinghollowed out, in combination with bolts within the hollow of thespindles, substantially as described and shown.

This specification signed and witnessed this 3d day of February, 1874.

JACOB SKEEN.

Witnesses:

It. N. DYER, CHAS. THURMAN.

